Brachyponera chinensis
Brachyponera chinensis worker from the United States
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Genus: Brachyponera
Species:
B. chinensis
Binomial name
Brachyponera chinensis
(Emery, 1895)

Brachyponera chinensis, the Asian needle ant, is a ponerine ant native to areas of Japan and Asia.[1] The species can also be found in the United States,[2] where it is an adventive and possibly invasive species.[3] It is documented from Georgia, Kentucky,[4] North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia, though unpublished records place it in Alabama and Tennessee.[5] Sightings have been confirmed as far north as Maryland.[6] The pest species is of growing concern due to ecological impacts on biodiversity[7] and medical risks to human health, via sting-induced anaphylaxis.[1] It prefers nesting in dark, damp areas in soil beneath stones, logs, stumps, and debris.[5]

The Asian needle ant and the Argentine ant (Linepithema humile) have been battling for territory in the U.S.[8]

References

  1. 1 2 Mark P. Nelder; Eric S. Paysen; Patricia A. Zungoli & Eric P. Benson (2006). "Emergence of the introduced ant Pachycondyla chinensis (Formicidae: Ponerinae) as a public health threat in the southeastern United States". Journal of Medical Entomology. 43 (5): 1094–1098. doi:10.1603/0022-2585(2006)43[1094:EOTIAP]2.0.CO;2. PMID 17017251. S2CID 45139795.
  2. Joe MacGown. "Ants (Formicidae) of the southeastern United States". Mississippi Entomological Museum. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
  3. Warren, R. J.; Candeias, M.; Lafferty, A.; Chick, L. D. (2020). "Regional-scale environmental resistance to non-native ant invasion". Biological Invasions. 22 (2): 813–825. doi:10.1007/s10530-019-02133-3. S2CID 207991136.
  4. Pratt, Katie (June 10, 2020). "New stinging ant species could cause problems for Kentuckians". UKNow. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
  5. 1 2 Pat Zungoli. "Asian needle ant, Pachycondyla chinensis (Emery)". Household & Structural Urban Entomology. Clemson University. Archived from the original on 15 January 2011. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
  6. "Maryland Biodiversity Project - Asian Needle Ant (Brachyponera chinensis)". www.marylandbiodiversity.com. Retrieved 2016-09-28.
  7. Benoit Guénard & Robert R. Dunn (2010). "A new (old), invasive ant in the hardwood forests of eastern North America and its potentially widespread impacts". PLoS ONE. 5 (7): e11614. Bibcode:2010PLoSO...511614G. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0011614. PMC 2908120. PMID 20657769.
  8. Ants Misbehaving: Argentine and Asian Ants Battle for U.S. Dominance; "In a fierce battle for dominance, Asian needle ants are displacing other species and threatening U.S. ecosystems" May 5, 2013 Scientific American


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